Aa history Lovers 2006 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page



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wrote:

hi history lovers,
Page 140 of To Employers says: "Can it be appreciated that he has been

a victim of crooked thinking, directly caused by the action of alcohol

on his brain?"
One of our members asked why would Bill put such an important piece of

information in the chapter to employers,instead of perhaps one of the

chapters at the beginning of the book.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks from Tracy

The Barking Big Book Study Group

England

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++++Message 3259. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: "Stump the Archivist"

From: t . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/17/2006 12:53:00 AM


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> JANUARY 2006 STUMP THE ARCHIVIST

>

> Did Bill Wilson have a mistress who lived in Miami?



seems like somewhere I've read something like "Usually, however, other

people


are

involved. Therefore, we are not to be the hasty and foolish martyr who would

needlessly sacrifice others ..."

So I'll let those who might choose to take Bill's inventory also consider

making

his


amends. [isn't it odd how often we run across those willing to take someone

else's


inventory, but how seldom those same folks volunteer to do the amends

steps?]
>

> When and where did the poker chip tradition start for the groups?

Sister Ignatia was reportedly in the habit of giving out Sacred Heart tokens

to

those


who 'graduated treatment' at St Thomas Hospital in Akron.

As early as Jan 1947, in the Grapevine's "AA Country Wide News

Circuit" column,

it is


noted that the Elmira, N. Y. Group used white-red-and-blue poker chips to

note


lengths of continuous sobriety.

In May 1947, that same column mentions Tacoma Wash using

white-yellow-red-and-blue

chips.


In Aug 1947, that column again mentions the use of a blue chip by the North

Hollywood, Cal group.

A later, 1955, article "In the Chips" noted the practice in

Charlotte, NC with

white-red-amber-green-and-blue chips.
>

> Where did AA come to use the circle and triangle?

"Where" is on most all AAWS literature published, "when"

would be from the 50's

till

1993.
>



> When was the grapevine first published? In its present form?

The first [oversized] issue is dated June 1944,

then it was 'downsized' to it's present dimensions in Sept 1948.
>

> I would apppreciate any direction you might suggest,. . . or even

> some answers!
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++++Message 3260. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: "Stump the Archivist"

From: James Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/16/2006 8:01:00 PM


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JANUARY 2006 STUMP THE ARCHIVIST
Did Bill Wilson have a mistress who lived in Miami?
Who he bonked or didn't bonk has nothing to do with AA history.
When and where did the poker chip tradition start for the groups?
Chips, Medallions and Birthdays
The traditions of chips, medallions and birthdays vary in different parts of

the country and I thought it would be interesting to look up some of the

history on them.
Sister lgnatia, the nun who helped Dr. Bob get the hospitalization program

started
at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron was the first person to use medallions in

Alcoholics
Anonymous. She gave the drunks who were leaving St. Thomas after a five day

dry out a Sacred Heart Medallion and instructed them that the acceptance of

the medallion signified a commitment to God, to A.A. and to recovery and

that if they were going to drink, they had a responsibility to return the

medallion to her before drinking.
The sacred heart badges had been used prior to A.A. by the Father Matthew

Temperance Movement of the 1840s and the Pioneers an Irish Temperance

Movement of the 1890s.
The practice of sobriety chips in A.A. started with a Group in Elmira, N.Y.

in 1947 and has grown from there.


The celebration of birthdays came from the Oxford Group where they

celebrated the anniversary of their spiritual rebirth. As we have a problem

with honesty, A.A. chose the anniversary of the date of our last drink.
Early celebrations of birthdays resulted in people getting drunk and Dr.

Harry Tiebout was asked to look at the problem and he commented on this

phenomenon in an articled titled "When the Big "I" Becomes

Nobody", (AAGV,

Sept. 65)
"Early on in A.A., I was consulted about a serious problem plaguing the

local group. The practice of celebrating a year's sobriety with a birthday

cake had resulted in a certain number of the members getting drunk within a

short period after the celebration. It seemed apparent that some could not

stand prosperity. I was asked to settle between birthday cakes or no

birthday cakes. Characteristically, I begged off, not from shyness but from

ignorance. Some three or four years later, A.A. furnished me the answer. The

group no longer had such a problem because, as one member said, "We

celebrate still, but a year's sobriety is now a dime a dozen. No one gets

much of a kick out of that anymore."


The AAGV carried many articles on chips and cakes and the following is a

brief summary of some.


Feb. 1948, Why All the Congratulations? "When we start taking bows

(even on


anniversaries) we bow ourselves right into the cuspidor."
July, 1948. Group To Give Oscar for Anniversaries.
The Larchmont Group of Larchmont, N.Y. gives a cast bronze camel mounted on

a mahogany base to celebrate 1st., 5th and 10th anniversaries.


"The camel is wholly emblematic of the purposes of most sincere A.A.s,

i.e.,


to live for 24 hours without a drink."
August 1948. The Artesta, N.Mex. Group awards marbles to all members. If you

are caught without your marbles, you are fined 25 cents. This money goes

into the Foundation Fund.
June 1953, We operate a poker chip club in the Portland Group (Maine). We

have poker chips of nine colors of which the white represents the probation

period of one month. If he keeps his white chip for one month he is

presented with a red chip for one month's sobriety.


The chips continue with blue for two months, black for three, green for

four, transparent blue for five, amber for six, transparent purple for nine

months and a transparent clear chip for one year. We have our chips stamped

with gold A.A. letters.


Also at the end of the year and each year thereafter, we present them with a

group birthday card signed by all members present at the meeting.


January 1955, Charlotte, N.C. "When a man takes "The Long

Walk" at the end

of a meeting, to pick up a white chip, he is admitting to his fellow men

that he has finally accepted the precepts of A.A. and is beginning his

sobriety. At the end of three months he exchanges his white chip for a red

one. Later, a handsome, translucent chip of amber indicates that this new

member has enjoyed six months of a new way of life. The nine month chip is a

clear seagreen and a blue chip is given for the first year of sobriety. In

some groups a sponsor will present his friend with an engraved silver chip,

at the end of five years clear thinking and clean living.


March 1956, The One Ton Poker Chip. Alton, Illinois. Author gave friend a

chip on his first day eight years ago (1948) and told him to accept it in

the spirit of group membership and that if he wanted to drink to throw the

chip away before starting drinking.


October 1956, Bangor Washington. Article about a woman who sits in a bar to

drink the bartender sees her white chips and asks what it is. She tells him.

He throws her out as he does not want an alcoholic in his bar. She calls

friend.
April 1957, Cape Cod, Mass. Group recognizes 1st, 5th and 15th

anniversaries. Person celebrating leads meeting. Person is presented with a

set of wooden carved plaques with the slogans.


July 1957, New Brunswick, Canada. Birthday Board. Member contributes one

dollar for each year of sobriety


July 1957, Oregon. Person is asked to speak and is introduced by his or her

sponsor. The wife, mother, sister or other relative brings up a cake. The

Group sings Happy Birthday. The wife gives a two or thee minute talk.
April 1959, Patterson, N.J. People are asked to give "three month pin

talks."
And that's a little bit of info on chips, cakes and medallions.


Where did AA come to use the circle and triangle?
It was introduced at the 20th Anniversary convention in St. Louis and

registered as a trade mark in 1955.


Bill had seen it during a visit to Norway and brought the idea back to the

U.S. We have the symbols on the floor of one of the subway stations in

Montreal.
When was the grapevine first published? In its present form?
The first issue of the GV was June 1944 in the form of a newspaper and it

was 11X17 and 8 pages. It grew to 16 pages.


In Spetember 1948 it was reduced to the present size.
I would apppreciate any direction you might suggest,. . . or even

some answers!


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++++Message 3261. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: "Stump the Archivist"

From: ArtSheehan . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/17/2006 12:18:00 PM


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From: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

[mailto:AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of J. Carey Thomas

Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 4:43 PM

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] "Stump the Archivist"
Our Area has started a idea called "Stump the Archivist." The

four questions below have come from attendees at our Area business

weekends.
I have tried the search capability of our site, but have not

mastered its capabilities. Probably the answers to these *questions*

are there, but I could use some help...!
Here is the first batch of four questions we have been asked:
JANUARY 2006 STUMP THE ARCHIVIST
To Area 15

From Area 65


Did Bill Wilson have a mistress who lived in Miami?
Bill W's mistress, Helen W, lived in New York at the time of their 15

year affair. Helen supposedly bought a home in Pleasantville, NY. She

also became a Grapevine editor. Bill changed his will and royalty

agreement with AA to make Helen the beneficiary of 10% of his

royalties after he passed away. The most detailed information on her

can be found in the book "Bill W' by Francis Hartigan.


When and where did the poker chip tradition start for the groups?
Don't know. There would likely be too many locations claiming primacy

on the matter to factually determine the matter conclusively. Sister

Ignatia should be credited with starting the practice of giving

alcoholics a sobriety token. She handed out Sacred Heart Badges to

alcoholic patients leaving St Thomas Hospital in Akron, OH on the

condition that they would return the badge to her prior to taking a

first drink. See the book Sister Ignatia by Mary C Darrah.
Where did AA come to use the circle and triangle?
The logo first appeared on a large banner at AA's 2nd International

Convention, and 10th Anniversary, in Kiel Auditorium, St Louis, MO,

July 1-3, 1955. See "AA Comes of Age" pgs 49 and 139.
When was the grapevine first published? In its present form?
The August 1948 Grapevine announced that beginning September 1948, its

format would be 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches and it would contain 32 pages.

The change was based on a vote of subscribers. Early covers were kept

simple, usually consisting of a grapevine sprig and a color

background.
Cheers

Arthur
I would apppreciate any direction you might suggest,. . . or

even some answers!

_\|/_


(o o)

-----------o00-(_)-00o-----------carey----------

Carey Thomas

Archivist, Area 15


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
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++++Message 3262. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Crooked thinking

From: Jim Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/17/2006 9:34:00 AM


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The authors of our basic text make it clear earlier in the paragraph on page

140


that they have described fully the nature of the illness in chapters two and

three, and suggest that the employer look there "If this presents

difficulty,".

The series of questions, of which the "crooked thinking" one is

the final

question, begins with the phrase, "If you concede that your employee is

ill".
I do not see anything new in this paragraph, rather it is restating some of

the


information from chapter 2 and 3 in different language. The chapter is

written


to help the employer see that "you may be suffering from an illness

that only a

spiritual experience will conquer."
Jim

an ex-problem drinker in Pittsburgh


----- Original Message ----

From: Charlene C.

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 1:57:04 PM

Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] Crooked thinking
it would be my guess that employers are more inclined to think in

intellectual

terms than medical or spiritual. especially in that time, when alcoholism

was


considered more of a moral dilema than a spiritual mallody or terminal

illness.
just a thought.

C. Cook
trixiebellaa


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